‘I think I’m going to like Sheffield,’ Avril decided.
Jacqueline laughed. ‘You haven’t seen much of it yet.’
‘No, but after London I can’t believe the difference in the air.’
‘Oh, I’ll grant you that. I’ll guarantee you’ll sleep well after a few days in the pure Yorkshire air.’ She frowned. ‘Not that it’s all that pure where we live now, but just wait till you see Longfield.’
‘If it’s half as beautiful as your paintings I can’t wait.’
‘It’s even better,’ said Jacqueline. ‘Looks like we’re here. We’d better gather our luggage together.’
Avril found her stomach churning nervously. She hoped it would be acceptable her being here. She wished her friend had warned her family of her coming, but Jacqueline had insisted on their visit being a surprise.
A surprise it was too, for Jacqueline as well as her parents. She had expected her mother to come running at the sound of the shop bell, but instead a pretty assistant dressed in an elegant black dress addressed the pair as they entered.
‘Can I help you, madam?’ She smiled from one to the other.
‘Shh,’ Jacqueline whispered, placing a finger to her lips. ‘Is my mother about? Oh, sorry – you don’t know me. I’m Jacqueline.’
The girl blushed. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know. I’m Yvonne Banwell. I’ve only been here a few months. Your mother’s in the living room doing the tree.’
Jacqueline knew better than to dump her bags in the shop. It had been almost a mortal sin in her mother’s eyes for as much as a duster to be left in view of the customers. She trundled through to the kitchen, her friend following uncertainly.
She tiptoed up behind her mother, placed her luggage silently down and pressed her hands over the busy woman’s eyes. Mary jumped. ‘What? Who – come on, stop messing about.’ Her daughter let go, eager to witness her mother’s surprise. Mary was more in shock than surprised, then she and her daughter were crying and laughing in each other’s arms.
‘This is Avril, Mother. I hope you don’t mind me bringing her, only I couldn’t leave her alone at Christmas.’
‘Mind? Of course I don’t mind. Oh, what a Christmas this is going to be. Take your things off, Avril, and make yourself at home. Oh, I can’t wait to see your father’s face.’
‘When will he be home?’
‘He’s on two to ten, but our Alan’ll be home about half past six.’
Jacqueline sank into an easy chair, and Mary rushed to the kitchen to make tea.
‘I didn’t know you had an assistant in the shop, Mother.’
‘Oh, didn’t I mention it? I always forget half the things I mean to say when I write.’
‘She looks efficient,’ Jacqueline said. ‘And pretty.’
Avril smiled. ‘I think that’s an understatement. I’d say she was beautiful.’
Mary came back with the tea tray. ‘You’re right. I held a fashion show last week in aid of a children’s hospital appeal, and Yvonne was the main model. I can’t believe the orders that came pouring in. Not only that, but the customers love her. Besides, I can concentrate now on the sewing part knowing the shop is in good hands. She’s paying her own wages over and over again.’
‘What did Dad say?’
‘Well, actually it was his suggestion. He threatened he would leave if I didn’t cut my working hours. I ignored him for too long, I’m afraid, not realising I was really neglecting him. Luckily I took his threat seriously in the end.’
Jacqueline looked worried. ‘I’m glad you did. I wouldn’t have liked a divorce on my hands.’
Mary giggled. ‘You know your father better than that. Besides, I think he rather fancies Yvonne. He says she makes him feel twenty again.’
‘Where did you find her?’ Jacqueline enquired.
‘She’s been a customer since she was in frilly dresses and ankle socks. I knew she was leaving school next year so she was the obvious choice. At present she’s coming in after school, on Saturdays, and full time in the holidays, like now.’ Mary didn’t add that being a member of the Holmes family the girl was worthy of a little consideration. She wasn’t supposed to know. The truth had only been revealed when she tried dresses on the little girl. The tiny birthmark exactly between the shoulder blades was identical to the one on both Jacqueline and Una.
Yvonne’s parentage had been confirmed to Mary by the look on Harry’s face when he first saw his daughter behind the counter, but nothing had been said and Mary intended to keep the knowledge to herself, realising she had landed herself with a bargain in Yvonne. Besides, the girl obviously idolised Mr and Mrs Banwell, and they her.
The shop was closed and the bags unpacked by the time Alan arrived home in the old banger. They heard him long before he arrived outside the shop, and before coming in he lifted up the bonnet and shone a torch inside to begin adjusting something or other.
‘Oh, no,’ Mary moaned. ‘Don’t tell me he’s brought home another heap of someone else’s rubbish. I don’t know what people will think. That’s the third time this week he’s brought his work home to clutter up the road.’
‘Well, at least he hasn’t changed much. I can’t remember a time when he wasn’t tinkering with some motor or another.’ Jacqueline was growing impatient and eventually she knocked on the shop window. Alan looked up and his grease-smeared face blossomed into a huge grin. Dropping the spanner he almost ran into the shop, and gathered his sister against his greasy overalls.
‘How long have you been home?’
‘Hours and hours. Well, it seems like it waiting for you to arrive, and then as usual someone’s old engine is given priority.’ They laughed happily together as they entered the kitchen.
Avril stood up as Jacqueline introduced her brother to her. She had seen photographs and heard a lot about Alan, but nothing had prepared her for the sight of the tall handsome man with the fair hair and the laughing eyes. She gulped and managed a hello.
‘Nice to see you, Avril.’ He smiled. ‘Looks like being an exciting Christmas after all, and I must say you’ve achieved a miracle already: you’ve drawn my mother’s attention from that damned sewing machine.’
Mary laughed. ‘Wrong,’ she said. ‘I’d already decided to call it a day. All the orders are completed, and if we haven’t enough stock made up they’ll just have to wait until the new year.’ She went to the kitchen to lay the table, calling out, ‘I couldn’t decide whether to close the shop for two or three days, but our Jacqueline’s arrival helped me make up my mind. I’m giving Yvonne a whole week off – with pay, of course. I’ll see how things go and if there doesn’t look to be much doing I’ll take a week off myself too.’
Alan sank into a chair in a mock faint. ‘Oh, God, we’ll be bankrupt,’ he groaned.
Laughing, Jacqueline warned, ‘You’ll not only be bankrupt, you’ll be thrown out if she sees you on the furniture in those overalls.’
Alan jumped up. ‘Oh, I forgot. I’d better go and shower.’
‘Shower?’ Jacqueline shrieked. ‘Are we turning all posh?’
‘My Christmas present to Mum and Dad, all fitted and working,’ Alan boasted.
Mary popped her head round the door. ‘Aye, and we’ll all know whose fault it is when one of us ends up scalded,’ she warned.
Alan laughed and disappeared upstairs. Avril looked at Jacqueline and smiled wistfully, saying softly, ‘Oh, Jacqueline, you don’t know how lucky you are, having such a caring family.’
‘Well, I don’t know about that. I reckon they’re all a bit dotty sometimes, and you haven’t met half of them yet. Wait until Christmas Day when we all get together – you’ll think you’re in a madhouse.’
Avril didn’t answer. She could already see the transformation in Jacqueline, and she reckoned she could stop worrying about her friend, for the next several days at least.
‘Come on, dinner’s ready,’ Mary called. ‘I’d have done something special if I’d known you were coming.’
‘Well this looks special enough to me,’ Avril said, beginning to tuck in to the large plate of meat and potato pie and mushy peas. ‘You were right, Jacqueline – I am going to like it here. I’ll never be able to thank you enough for having me, Mrs Holmes.’
‘No thanks necessary, love,’ Mary said, glancing at her daughter. Something had happened: she didn’t know what and did not intend to pry, but was grateful that Jacqueline had had a friend like Avril to see her through the trauma. Oh well, she hoped that whatever it was it was over, and for the next few days she intended to concentrate on feeding up the pair of scrawny figures. ‘Come on, eat up,’ she said. ‘There’s baked apples and custard to follow.’
Initially Jack had invited Gladys and Rowland to spend the whole of Christmas with them, but on hearing of the arrival of his daughter Gladys had changed their plans slightly, knowing from her letters how much Jacqueline missed Moorland House. So it was arranged that the whole family would spend Christmas Day at Millington and men, weather permitting, visit Moorland House on Boxing Day. Gladys hoped to persuade Jacqueline to stay overnight and show her friend the beauties of Longfield the next day.
Jack had been shocked at his daughter’s appearance. ‘I don’t believe they are feeding themselves properly,’ he said. ‘Either that, or she’s unhappy at college. I’ll not have her staying down there if she’s miserable.’
‘She’s enjoying college,’ Mary assured him.
‘Mary, can’t you see she looks drawn – older, somehow? Surely being her mother you can see the change in her.’
‘I can see,’ Mary insisted. ‘But I don’t think it’s anything to do with college, or the way they eat.’ She paused. ‘I think the girl’s probably had love troubles.’ She didn’t add that she was seeing herself all over again after Tom Downing’s death.
‘Well, I only hope nobody did the dirty on her. If anybody harms my lass I’ll swing for ’em, I’m telling you, Mary.’
‘Jack, she’s not a little girl any more. She’s twenty tomorrow and we can’t protect her from life. She needs to learn from her own mistakes like anyone else.’
‘Aye well, we’ll see. If she’s miserable down there she’s not going back, I’m telling you.’
‘Yes, and I’m telling you, a week at home and she’ll be back to her old self, just you see.’
As it happened it didn’t take a week to transform Jacqueline. It happened quite unexpectedly on her birthday.
It was during the afternoon that the shop bell rang and Yvonne came through to the back. ‘There’s someone asking for you, Jacqueline. A man.’
‘A man? Well, he’d better come in.’ Jacqueline looked at Avril in confusion.
Douglas Downing looked ill at ease. It was the first time Jacqueline had seen him dressed up and he had obviously taken pains with his appearance.
‘Doug! Come in. It’s been ages – how are you?’ She didn’t wait for Doug’s reply. ‘This is my friend Avril, she’s staying over Christmas.’
Doug shook the girl’s hand, even more embarrassed. It had taken some courage to visit one girl, and now there were two.
Avril realised she was in the way. ‘Shall I put the kettle on, Jacqueline?’ she asked.
Her friend nodded, smiling at Doug. She went towards him. ‘Oh, it’s lovely to see you. I am glad you’ve come.’
‘Aye, it’s been a long time.’ A hell of a long time, he thought. He stared at Jacqueline, noticing the shadows beneath her eyes, but they only seemed to emphasise the depths of those eyes’ warm beauty.
Jacqueline was overcome by an urge to run into the strong waiting arms, to feel them circle her body and draw her towards the hard muscular chest, just as they had on the day Pepper had died. She could hear Billy Fury on the radio. The words ‘so near yet so far away’ filled her with confusion, and she stopped within arm’s length of her friend.
Doug wanted to gather her to him, had wanted to since she was hardly more than a child, but then he had told himself that he was too old. He had been then, but now the six years’ difference seemed irrelevant.
‘I brought you your cards. I happened to be coming into Millington so they asked me to call.’ It was only a slight white lie, he could have filled up the tank of the van in Longfield, but he had jumped at the opportunity when his mother had mentioned forgetting to post the cards for Jacqueline’s birthday. ‘It wouldn’t have mattered much if she hadn’t been home,’ Mrs Downing had said, ‘but we really ought to have made sure they arrived on the right day.’ Bessie had volunteered to deliver them after finishing work but Doug had already picked them up and popped them in his pocket.
‘I’ve to go into Millington this afternoon,’ he had said. ‘I’ll pop them in at the shop.’
Now he was here and he was standing like a dope, unable to think of anything to say and staring at Jacqueline as though she was made of bone china, wanting to touch her and not daring.
‘Your mum never forgets our birthdays.’ Jacqueline smiled at Doug.
Mary had been upstairs, but now she walked into the sitting room and stopped dead in her tracks, going cold with shock. Except for the stylish haircut and the Slim Jim tie the dark-haired man in the navy suit could have been Tom Downing himself. She was confused at first, not sure if it was Cyril or Douglas. It was a long time since she had seen either of them.
‘Doug’s brought me my birthday cards, Mam,’ Jacqueline said. Mary noticed the sparkle in her daughter’s eyes, and the way she had lapsed in her speech and come out with Mam instead of Mother. She smiled at Doug. ‘Well, sit down and tell us all the news. How are your mother and father?’
‘Fine.’ He grinned and sat on the edge of the settee.
‘Lucy calls in occasionally,’ Mary volunteered. ‘But I see more of her daughter nowadays. She’s just at the age to be buying new clothes every week.’
‘Have you seen our Bessie lately?’
‘Not for some months. Not married yet, I gather?’
Doug laughed. ‘That’ll be the day. She’s too fond of a good time is our Bessie, popping off to Spain for holidays two or three times a year.’
‘The last time I saw her she looked well on it.’
Doug chuckled. ‘Well, I reckon she’s put on a couple of stone over the last year.’ His tone became more serious. ‘I think there may be wedding bells soon, actually. Her friend Sam isn’t too well and she’s spending more and more time at his place. I reckon she’s about ready for settling down.’
‘And how’s Cyril?’ Jacqueline enquired.
‘Working till he drops most of the time, saving up for a place of his own. He’s courting a girl from the other side Sheffield.’
Avril brought in the tea and Jacqueline opened her cards. There was one from Mrs Downing, another signed Bessie and Sam, though Jacqueline had never seen Bessie’s man friend, and a beautiful scented one with cut-out red roses. She opened it slowly and read the words written in a neat hand: ‘To Jacqueline from your loving friend Doug.’
By the look in Jacqueline’s eyes it might have been a romantic love poem of at least ten verses. ‘Oh, it’s beautiful.’ She smiled radiantly at Doug and his face turned crimson.
‘Well,’ he mumbled, ‘I’d better be off. Thanks for the tea, Mary.’
The way he pronounced her name caused a stirring in Mary’s stomach; he reminded her so much of his brother, it seemed almost like yesterday. She pulled herself together as he asked Jacqueline, ‘Will you be at the house over Christmas?’
‘Boxing Day, all being well,’ she answered quickly.
He grinned. ‘I’ll probably be seeing you again then before you go back.’
‘I suppose so.’ She smiled.
‘I, er, I don’t suppose you’ll be at the dance on Christmas Eve?’
Jacqueline looked towards Avril. ‘Shall we? Do you feel like shaking a leg?’
Avril shrugged. ‘Sure, that would be lovely.’
Her friend followed Doug out into the shop, and then out on to the pavement, both
reluctant to say goodbye.
‘Oh-oh,’ Avril said, ‘I think Jacqueline’s in love again.’
Mary picked up the word quickly. ‘Again?’
‘Oh, dear – you weren’t supposed to know. Anyway, it’s over – has been for a while.’
‘I would say it’s certainly over, and it looks like another has begun.’ Mary smiled at Avril as Jacqueline walked nonchalantly back into the room.
‘Now where can I make room for some more cards?’
Every surface in the room was filled with either Christmas or birthday cards, but Jacqueline managed to find room for three more, with the one from Doug noticeably given pride of place.
She wondered why she hadn’t realised before how much she liked Doug. Well, more than liked, actually. And this time she had a notion that the feeling was mutual.
When they entered the dance hall on Christmas Eve Jacqueline, Avril and Pam were already in high spirits after Jack had insisted on treating the friends to a drink at the Working Men’s Club. Unused to alcohol, the trio had needed no more than a couple of gin and oranges to go off into a fit of giggles, and Uncle Harry and Alan hadn’t helped by insisting on telling a string of jokes. Most of them were absolutely awful, but the friends were so happy to be together that they found it easy to laugh at anything.
Avril was surprised at the size of the hall and the quality of the music. The floor was throbbing as dancers let down their hair and gyrated to a rousing version of ‘Summertime Blues’, oblivious of the fact that it was midwinter.
Suddenly, her attention caught, Jacqueline peered across the dimly lit room to where a large ungainly figure was twisting away to the music. It couldn’t be, yet she was sure it was Charlie Barker.
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